PowerPoint ruler shows inches instead of centimeters. Or vice versa.

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Problem

PowerPoint's ruler shows inches when you want centimeters (or vice versa)
The other measurements are also in the wrong units.

PowerPoint for Windows
Windows PPT versions depend on the Windows system settings to determine whether to display inches or centimeters.

To change the settings in Windows:

• Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel.
• Doubleclick "Regional Options" or "Regional and Language Options"
• The options that appear next are different for different versions of Windows, but you're after a set of Numbers options that includes a "Measurements" settings. In Windows XP, for example, you'd click Regional Options, Customize, Numbers, Measurement System.
• Choose "US" or "Metric"
• Apply the changes and restart PowerPoint. Its rulers and other measurements should now display in the measurement system you just chose.

Note: Sometimes it may not work. In that case, hit it over the head with this hammer: set the measurement to the opposite of what you want in Control Panel, apply the change, start and quit PowerPoint, then reset the measurement system back to what you want again in Control Panel. With luck, NOW it will "take" in Powerpoint

PowerPoint for Mac
[thanks to Brian/PT for this info!]

Mac OS 9 has no way to switch the system to metric, so you are stuck in inches if you have a US version of Mac OS 9 (see See Microsoft Support article 233189). The way around this is to upgrade to PowerPoint 2001.

PowerPoint 2001, X, and 2004 allow you to set the program itself to centimeters (choose PowerPoint, Preferences, the View tab and change Ruler Units).

Also, Mac OS X (if you are running PowerPoint X or 2004) allows you to set the system itself to Metric (go to System Preferences, International, Formats or Numbers tab depending on version of OS X), similar to Windows.

If your OS X system is set to Metric the first time you launch PowerPoint, it will automatically show the rulers in centimeters.

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